Notre Dame Football: A History of True Freshman Quarterbacks

Unless you were locked in a dark room with no connection to the outside world this week, you probably heard that Columbus, Ind. quarterback Gunner Kiel officially enrolled at Notre Dame on Tuesday.

While landing the consensus top pro-style quarterback in the country despite him previously giving verbal commitments to Indiana and LSU was quite a coup for the Irish, Kiel's enrollment does not ensure instant prosperity for the program.

Should Kiel make a start in the fall, he would become just the ninth true freshman to start a game for Notre Dame since freshman eligibility began in 1972. Brady Quinn and Jimmy Clausen started games in their true freshmen seasons and now are mainstays in the Notre Dame record book. Others, like Matt LoVecchio and Kent Graham, struggled and later transferred.

Here is a look at the eight prior quarterbacks who started for the Irish as true freshmen. Whether or not there will be a ninth quarterback in this group will be the major question throughout spring practice and summer camp.

Blair Kiel, 1980

Fittingly, the first Notre Dame quarterback to start as a true freshman was also named Kiel, Gunner's uncle Blair. His best season at Notre Dame was his first, leading the Irish to the brink of a national championship, only to lose to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.

Dan Devine retired after the Sugar Bowl, and Notre Dame could never rekindle the magic under Gerry Faust. Kiel went on to a successful pro career, primarily with the Packers.

Steve Beuerlein, 1983

Despite starting for the majority of his four years at Notre Dame, Beuerlein had a very mediocre record of 21-18. He played three seasons under Gerry Faust and only one under Lou Holtz.

He took over in early October of his true freshman season and would go on to make 39 career starts for the Irish. He had a long NFL career that spanned from 1987 to 2003. 

Kent Graham, 1987

Graham was a prototypical drop-back passer, not a good fit for Lou Holtz's wishbone attack. He won his first start in 1987 against Boston College, but Tony Rice eventually replaced him as starter later in the season.

Knowing Rice would be the starter going forward, Graham opted to transfer. He finished his career at Ohio State and went on to a long career in the NFL, mostly as a backup.

Paul Failla, 1991

Lou Holtz had a policy that if a quarterback was unable to participate in the final practice before a game, he could not start. Rick Mirer was deemed healthy enough to play against Pittsburgh, but did not participate in the Friday walkthrough.

Failla was given a token start and played the first series of the win over the Panthers. Mirer replaced him for the second series, and Failla would make only one more start with the Irish. He would transfer from Notre Dame following the 1993 season.

Matt LoVecchio, 2000

It was quarterback by committee early in the 2000 season for Notre Dame. Arnaz Battle made two starts, winning one. Gary Godsey started two of the more memorable games of the Bob Davie era, a win over eventual Big Ten champion Purdue and a heartbreaking loss to Michigan State.

Matt LoVecchio took over after a bye week and led the Irish to seven straight wins against a very light schedule. Notre Dame received a Fiesta Bowl invitation, but was humbled by Oregon State, 41-9. LoVecchio started the 2001 season under center, but was replaced by Carlyle Holiday later in the season. He transferred to Indiana after the season.

Brady Quinn, 2003

There was a lot of promise heading into the 2003 season after 10 wins in Ty Willingham's first season in South Bend. That promise came crashing down in a 38-0 loss to Michigan, and the following week's loss to Michigan State would be Carlyle Holiday's final start for the Irish.

In stepped Quinn, who struggled behind a young offensive line, winning only four of his nine starts. He would go on to break almost every passing record at Notre Dame, but in his first season with the Irish, the future first-round NFL Draft pick experienced a slew of growing pains.

Jimmy Clausen, 2007

After enrolling for the spring semester, Clausen was expected to replace the graduated Brady Quinn in the fall as the starting quarterback. However, an elbow injury hindered his practice time, and red-shirt freshman Demetrius Jones won a competition with Clausen and Evan Sharpley.

Jones was ineffective in the season-opening 33-3 loss to Georgia Tech and transferred the next week. Clausen and Sharpley rotated under center for the remainder of a forgettable 3-9 season that saw the Irish fail to reach the end zone until the fourth game of the season.

Tommy Rees, 2010

Rees was unexpectedly forced into duty in the second game of the season after Dayne Crist suffered a head injury. He played a couple of series in the 28-24 loss to Michigan, and Crist started the next seven games.

Crist was lost for the season with a knee injury against Tulsa, and Rees stepped in to start the final four games, winning each time. His numbers weren't spectacular, but his calm demeanor helped the Irish close the season strong.